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FY 2017 U.S.

Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement Washington, DC 20202-5900

APPLICATION FOR GRANTS UNDER THE TEACHER AND SCHOOL LEADER INCENTIVE PROGRAM

CFDA Number: 84.374A Form Approved OMB No. 1894-0006 Expiration Date: 11-30-2017 Closing Date: March 24, 2017

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Table of Contents Letter from the Director 4

Ready to Apply 5

I. Program Background Information 6

Program Overview 6

II. Basic Application Information 9

Important Dates 9

FY 2017 TSL Notice Inviting Applications 9

FY 2017 TSL Application Package 9

Notification of Intent to Apply 10

Apply! 10

FY 2017 TSL Grant Competition Design Elements 10

Absolute Priorities 10

Programmatic Requirements Established in the NIA 11

Statutory Application Requirements (ESEA section 2212(c)) 13

Competitive Preference Priorities 15

III. Application Submission Procedures 17

Submission Procedures 17

Submission Problems – What Should You Do? 19

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov 19

Dial-up Internet Connections 19

Attaching Files – Additional Tips 19

Application Tips 20

DUNS Number Instructions 22

IV. Application Instructions 23

Completing and Submitting Your Application 23

Addressing Your Questions 25

Transparency 25

A. Required Forms 26

Standard Forms Instructions 26

B. Application Narrative Instructions 27

ED Abstract Narrative 27

Project Narrative 27

Table of Contents 28

Page Guidelines 28

Identifying Contractors or Vendors in the Project Application 28

FY 2017 TSL Application Grant Selection Criteria 30

C. Budget Narratives 32

Budget Narrative Guidelines 32

Instructions for the Budget Narratives 35

D. Other Attachment Forms 42

Instructions for Appendices 42

TSL Application Requirements Checklist 43

TSL Optional High-Need School Eligibility Checklist 47

FY 2017 Application Checklist 48

E. Additional Information 49

Applicable Definitions 49

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Sample Point Ranges for Rating Applicant Responses to the Selection Criteria 54

Executive Order 12372 – Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs 55

Paperwork Burden Statement 55

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Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL)! We know that

teachers are the single most important factors in improving student learning and achievement. The TSL

program provides funding for projects that implement and enhance human capital management

systems (HCMSs) that are local educational agency (LEA-wide, and that include performance-based

teacher and/or principal compensation systems (PBCSs) especially for educators working in high-need

schools. Among other factors, an HCMS must include evaluation and support systems that reflect clear

and fair measures of performance, and take into account gains in student academic achievement. LEAs,

State educational agencies or other State agencies designated by the Governor to participate, the

Bureau of Indian Education, and partnerships of one or more of those entities and at least one nonprofit

or for profit entity are eligible to apply for TSL funding.

In the FY TSL 2017 competition, we are especially interested in supporting two key areas that we have

established as Competitive Preference Priorities. The first is the use of an HCMS to improve equitable

access to effective educators. The second is work to attract, support, and retain a diverse and effective

workforce. Applicants may earn additional points for addressing one or both of these Competitive

Preference Priorities.

This application package contains more detailed information about the TSL program and requirements

for this competition, including a link to the full version of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) published

in the Federal Register on December 20, 2016, ED required forms, optional but desired program

checklists, and important instructions on how to submit an application using Grants.gov. We strongly

encourage you to read this application package carefully. The Department of Education (Department)

and Congress have high expectations for TSL grantees. Therefore, we ask applicants to view this

program competition not as an opportunity to obtain additional funds, but as an opportunity to improve

student learning as you implement systemic change through HCMSs and performance-based

compensation for educators in your schools.

Again, thank you for your interest in the TSL program and your commitment to improving the quality of

teaching and learning in schools across this country.

Sincerely,

Venitia Richardson

Director, Teacher Quality Programs

Office of Innovation and Improvement

U. S. Department of Education

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT

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READY to APPLY?

Before you begin preparing your FY 2017 TSL application, please make sure that you can answer YES to the following questions:

Have your downloaded and reivewed the FY 2017 TSL NIA from the Federal Register?

Have you downloaded and reviewed the FY 2017 TSL Application Package documents and forms?

Have you downloaded and reviewed the TSL FAQ document? (Please note that the TSL FAQs were not released at the same time as this document on December 20, 2016, and will be made available shortly at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-and-school-leader-incentive-program/ .

Have your reviewed the instructions for electronic submission of your application in the NIA and Section III of the Application Package well before the application due date?

Have you allocated sufficient time for necessary steps such as obtaining a DUNS number and registering on the System for Award Management (SAM). Please note that these registration processes could take weeks, and trying to submit your application immediately prior to the deadline could prove frustrating. Many people may be attempting to submit applications through grants.gov and yours may not be processed in time. If this happens a second past the application deadline, your application will not be accepted.

If you answered “YES” to each of the above questions, you’re ready to begin working on your application.

Best Wishes from the TSL Team!

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I. Program Background Information

Program Overview

Program Office: Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) Grant Name: Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (TSL) CFDA Number: 84.374A Grant Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grant

Program Purpose: The TSL program is new. Authorized in section sections 2211 – 2213 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended in December 2015 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), TSL has some similarities to the former Teacher Incentive Fund program, but it also has many differences. TSL supports efforts of local educational agencies (LEAs) and States to focus on use and improvements in human capital management systems (HCMSs) and sustainable performance-based compensation systems (PBCSs), especially in high-need schools, to increase the effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders and thereby increase student achievement. Under TSL, key HCMS decisions, including those that affect educator’s opportunities to receive performance-based compensation, are informed by the results of the LEA’s educator evaluation and support system.

Program Elements Summary: This competition has four absolute priorities, two competitive preference priorities, three programmatic requirements, and several other application requirements, as described in the NIA and repeated below. They are:

Absolute Priorities: o Absolute Priority 1: Human Capital Management System; and o Absolute Priority 2: Evaluation and Support Systems for Teachers; o Absolute Priority 3: Evaluation and Support Systems for School Leaders; or o Absolute Priority 4: Evaluation and Support Systems for Teachers and School

Leaders.

Competitive Preference Priorities: o Competitive Preference Priority 1: Using the HCMS to Improve Equitable Access

to Effective Educators o Competitive Preference Priority 2: Attracting, Supporting, and Retaining a

Diverse and Effective Workforce

Requirements: o Requirement 1: Use of Funds o Requirement 2: Matching o Requirement 3: Documentation of High-Need Schools o Other Application Requirements from ESEA section 2212(c)

Program Elements Description: We know that an increasing number of LEAs are well-equipped to make human capital decisions that both support educators and improve student outcomes. This FY 2017 competition, the first under TSL, is designed to support LEAs that are ready to promote more effective teaching and school leadership by building upon and improving their

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existing HCMS, PBCS, and educator evaluation and support system for teachers, school leaders, or both. Absolute Priorities: Under Absolute Priority 1, applicants must describe each participating LEA’s existing HCMS, PBCS, and evaluation and support system for all educators that each meets the definition of these terms established for this competition. In addition, under this Absolute Priority, the participating LEA’s HCMS must (1) include this PBCS, and (2) use the results of the educator evaluation and support system to inform a variety of human capital decisions, such as preparation, recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation (including performance–based compensation), professional development, tenure, and promotion—particularly as they affect educators working in high-need schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

As discussed in the preamble to the NIA, these efforts to build upon efforts to improve educator evaluation and support systems (e.g., make them even more fair, reliable, and credible; better align formative and summative assessments with college- and career-ready standards; and provide more mentoring and coaching to support educators) as well as efforts to have the HCMS and educator evaluation and support systems address new challenges or opportunities (e.g., partnering with institutions of higher education to strengthen pre-service programming or creating a teacher residency program, including one that is consistent with the definition of the term in section 2002(5) of the ESEA.) The Department encourages applicants to reflect these types of efforts in their TSL applications.

Given the importance of continuing to improve the way LEAs design and implement their evaluation and support systems, applicants also must describe how they will do so—as applicable, for teachers (Absolute Priority 2), principals and other school leaders (Absolute Priority 3), or educators in both groups (Absolute Priority 4).

Competitive Preference Priorities: This competition also has two Competitive Preference Priorities, and by addressing either or both of them, applicants can receive additional points that may be added to the scores they receive for meeting the program’s Selection Criteria. One of these Competitive Preference Priorities addresses the need for greater equity in the distribution of educators among an LEA’s schools. In order to help ensure that every public school student has equitable access to excellent Educators, in 2014 the Department asked each State educational agency (SEA) to submit a State Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators describing how it will ensure that “poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers,” as formerly required by section 1111(b)(8)(C) of the ESEA, as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act (now section 1111(g)(1)(B) of the ESEA, as amended by ESSA). States began to implement these plans in the 2015-16 school year. Several of the States’ proposed approaches included, for example, performance-based compensation through career pathways, a strategy that TSL funds could support. This first Competitive Preference Priority is designed to encourage applicants to align their TSL proposals to their State plans.

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The second Competitive Preference Priority responds to the emerging literature on the importance of educator diversity. Through this second priority, the Department encourages applicants to leverage TSL resources to diversify their Educator workforce.

Programmatic and Application Requirements: Finally, the competition has a number of programmatic and application requirements. Like Absolute Priorities, applicants must address each of these requirements in order to be eligible to be funded: Requirement 1 identifies the various activities on which applicants may propose to use their TSL funds. Applicants will want to consider these allowable activities as they work to develop their proposed projects. Requirement 2 complements the TSL non-Federal match requirement (50% of the amount of their Federal grant), and requires each application to include a written assurance of the applicant’s intent to meet this non-Federal matching obligation. (Applicants also will need to provide a proposed budget and budget narrative that describes these proposed matching funds on an annual basis.) Requirement 3 concerns the applicant’s need to provide (1) confirming information about those schools that the applicant identifies as “high-need” and that at least a majority of schools in which educators are eligible to receive performance-based compensation are high-need schools, and (2) the rationale for extending the PBCS to educators in other schools. The project application requirements (as opposed to those that govern the submission of applications to the Department) are from the TSL statute. The content of all of the Absolute Priorities, Programmatic Requirements, and Application Requirements are addressed in Section II of this application package as they are in the NIA. Section IV contains the definition of important terms, such as “performance-based compensation system,” “human capital management systems,” “educator,” “high-need school,” and “evaluation and support system.”

It is critically important that you carefully review these absolute priorities, requirements, and definitions since, to be eligible for funding, your application must align with them.

Project Period: Under this competition, applicants may apply for a grant of to five years. However, under the TSL statute, the Secretary may not award a grant initially for more than three years. The Secretary may then renew an award for a period of up to two additional years if the grantee demonstrates to the Secretary that it is effectively using its funds, and this renewal may include allowing the grantee to scale up or replicate its successful program. In order to help the Department with its budgetary planning, Section IV of this application package contains instructions for applicants to submit budgets and budget narratives now for a period of up to five years.

More information on the process of funding projects in Years 4 and 5 will be provided when it is available.

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II. Basic Application Information

Important Dates

Event Date

Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (84.374A) Application available

December 20, 2016

Pre-Application Information Webinars for potential applicants

January 10, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. You may register for the webinar by using the following link: https://westat.webex.com/westat/k2/j.php?MTID=tdd1db50faf212e77ecfb40c7f0681eb9.

Intent to Apply Email to TSL@ed.gov

February 4, 2017

Deadline for transmitting applications:

March 24, 2017, 4:30:00 PM Washington, D.C. time

Estimated Award Announcement: June 30, 2017

FY 2017 TSL Notice Inviting Applications

The full text of the NIA for the FY 2017 TSL grant competition can be found on the Federal Register Web site at:

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-12-20/pdf/2016-30643.pdf (PDF)

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/20/2016-30643/applications-for-new-awards-teacher-

and-school-leader-incentive-program (Text)

For convenience, the Federal Register Notice and NIA are published on the U.S. Department of Education’s TSL program website.

All TSL applications must be received on or before 4:30:00 P.M. Washington, D.C. time, on March 24, 2017. Please note that U.S. Department of Education grant application deadline is 4:30:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted, and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the application deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time. An applicant may check the status of its application, any time after submission, by using the "Track My Application" feature available from the upper navigation on the Grants.gov site. Applicants may also check the status of a submission by logging into their Grants.gov account using the Applicant Login. After logging in, an applicant should click on the "Check Application Status" link on the left-hand menu. Only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be peer reviewed.

FY 2017 TSL Application Package

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Please note that the TSL Application Package is for applicants to download and use as a guide only. All TSL grant applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.

Notification of Intent to Apply

The Secretary strongly encourages each member of the public seriously considering applying for a TSL grant to notify the Department of its intent to submit an application for TSL funding by sending an email of intent to TSL1@ed.gov. Doing so will enable the Department to properly budget for and prepare for an orderly review of TSL applications. The email should include the name of all applicants, a mailing address, and a phone number. Applicants that do not submit an Intent to Apply may still apply for funding, but submitting the requested email will help us plan for an efficient peer review.

Apply!

All applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. To locate the application package on the

Grants.gov website, hover over the “Applicant” tab. Select the “Apply for Grants” option, and then click on “Download a Grant Application Package.” Key in the CFDA (84.374A) and click “Download Package.” You will want to ensure that you download the application package titled “TSL Application.”

FY 2017 TSL Grant Competition Design Elements

Eligible Applicants: Eligible entities that may apply for a FY 2017 TSL grant are:

(a) An LEA, including a charter school that is an LEA, or a consortium of LEAs. (b) An SEA or other State agency designated by the Chief Executive of a State to participate. (c) The Bureau of Indian Education. or (d) A partnership consisting of—

(i) One or more agencies described in (a), (b), or (c); and (ii) At least one nonprofit organization as defined in 2 CFR 200.70 or at least one for-

profit entity.

Priorities and Requirements: The FY 2017 TSL competition includes four absolute priorities. Applicants must address Absolute Priority 1 and one of the other three absolute priorities. The competition also includes three programmatic requirements governing us of funds, non-Federal matching, and documentation of high-need schools, statutory application requirements, and applicable definitions that applicants must address in order to be eligible for a grant. Each of these absolute priorities, requirements (and definitions they use) is identified in the NIA and repeated in this application package. An applicant that is eligible to apply to the FY 2017 TSL competition will not be considered for funding if the Department finds that it fails to meet (a) Absolute Priority 1 and one of the other three absolute priorities (Absolute Priorities 2, 3, or 4), or (b) one of the programmatic or application requirements. For this reason, we strongly encourage each applicant to respond carefully and fully to the absolute priorities for this competition and to each programmatic and application requirement.

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Absolute Priorities: The absolute priorities and requirements that applicants must address in the FY 2017 TSL competition are as follows:

Absolute Priority 1: Human Capital Management System (HCMS). To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of its existing LEA-wide HCMS (or, in the case of a consortium application or an SEA application, the shared HCMS that currently exists across the proposed LEAs that will participate in this project), including a description of its PBCS. In addition, the application must describe--

1. How the HCMS currently includes an Evaluation and Support System1 for teachers, School

Leaders, or both, that reflects clear and fair measures of performance, based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic achievement;

2. Any proposed modifications of the HCMS under the proposed project, including modifications that expand or improve the Evaluation and Support System as defined in this notice;

3. How the Evaluation and Support System will provide ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and feedback for improvement, including professional development opportunities designed to increase effectiveness during the entire project period;

4. A data system that links Educators with student academic achievement data; and 5. How the HCMS uses performance information from the Evaluation and Support System to

inform key school- and district-level human capital decisions as decisions on preparation, recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation (including performance–based compensation), professional development, tenure, and promotion, particularly as they affect Educators working in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

Note: The described HCMS, PBCS, and the applicable Educator Evaluation and Support Systems must meet the definition of these terms in this notice. In addition, applicants may optionally include other school personnel (e.g., support staff, counselors, and aides) in their HCMS as local circumstances warrant. In addition, applicants must address one of the following three absolute priorities:

Absolute Priority 2: Evaluation and Support Systems for Teachers. To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of how its project would enhance its Evaluation and Support System for teachers in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

Absolute Priority 3: Evaluation and Support Systems for School Leaders. To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of how its project would enhance its Evaluation and Support System for School Leaders in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

Absolute Priority 4: Evaluation and Support Systems for Teachers and School Leaders. To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of how its project would enhance its Evaluation and Support System for teachers and School Leaders in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

1 This statement of applicable absolute priorities, programmatic requirements and statutory application

requirements, like the NIA that included them, capitalizes all terms defined in the NIA. These definitions are repeated in Section IV of this application package.

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Programmatic Requirements (3) established in the NIA:

Requirement 1: Use of Funds. Each applicant must demonstrate how it will use TSL grant funds to develop, implement, improve, or expand, in collaboration with Educators and members of the public, one or more of the following:

A. Developing or improving an Evaluation and Support System, including as part of an

HCMS, that:

i. Reflects clear and fair measures of teacher or School Leader performance, or both, based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic achievement; and

ii. Provides teachers, or School Leaders, or both, with ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and feedback for improvement, including professional development opportunities designed to increase effectiveness.

B. Conducting outreach within an LEA or a State to gain input on how to construct an Evaluation and Support System and to develop support for the Evaluation and Support System, including by training appropriate personnel in how to observe and evaluate teachers, or School Leaders, or both.

C. Providing School Leaders with--

i. Balanced autonomy to make budgeting, scheduling, and other school-level decisions in a manner that meets the needs of the school without compromising the intent or essential components of the policies of the LEA or State; and

ii. Authority to make staffing decisions that meet the needs of the school, such as building an instructional leadership team that includes teacher leaders or offering opportunities for teams or pairs of effective teachers or candidates to teach or start teaching in High-Need Schools together.

D. Implementing, as part of a comprehensive PBCS, a differentiated salary structure, which may include bonuses and stipends, to one or both of the following:

i. Teachers who--

I. Teach in High-Need Schools or high-need subjects; II. Raise student academic achievement; or

III. Take on additional leadership responsibilities; or

ii. School Leaders who serve in High-Need Schools and raise student academic achievement in the schools.

E. Improving the LEA’s system and process for the recruitment, selection, placement, and retention of effective teachers, or School Leaders, or both, in High-Need Schools, such as

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by improving LEA policies and procedures to ensure that High-Need schools are competitive and timely in—

i. Attracting, hiring, and retaining effective Educators;

ii. Offering bonuses or higher salaries to effective Educators; or

iii. Establishing or strengthening School Leader Residency Programs and Teacher Residency Programs.

F. Instituting career advancement opportunities characterized by increased responsibility and pay that reward and recognize effective teachers, principals, or other School Leaders in High-Need Schools and enable them to expand their leadership and results, such as through teacher-led professional development, mentoring, coaching, hybrid roles, administrative duties, and career ladders.

Requirement 2: Matching. Each applicant must provide a signed assurance attesting to its intent and ability to meet the TSL requirement in section 2212(f) of the ESEA that the applicant provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount of the grant, which may be provided in cash or in kind, to carry out the activities supported by the grant. Applicants and grantees must budget their matching contributions on an annual basis relative to each annual award of TSL grant funds.

Requirement 3: Documentation of High-Need Schools. Each applicant must demonstrate, in its application, that at least the majority of schools whose Educators will participate in the implementation of the TSL-funded PBCS are High-Need Schools (as defined in this notice). In doing so, each applicant must provide, in its application—

A. A list of schools in which the proposed TSL-supported PBCS would be implemented, and

an identification of which of these schools are High-Need Schools;

B. For each High-Need School listed, the most current data on the percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, or are considered students from low-income families based on another poverty measure that the LEA uses under section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)); and

C. A description of the applicant’s rationale for extending the TSL-funded PBCS to any Educators who are not working in High-Need Schools.

Note: Data provided to demonstrate eligibility as a High-Need School must be school-level data; the Department will not accept LEA- or State-level data for purposes of documenting whether a school is a High-Need School.

Statutory Application Requirements (ESEA section 2212(c)):

Each eligible applicant desiring a grant under this program must submit an application that contains—

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(a) A description of the PBCS or HCMS that the eligible applicant proposes to develop, implement, improve, or expand through the grant; (b) A description of the most significant gaps or insufficiencies in student access to effective teachers, principals, or other School Leaders in High-Need Schools, as applicable to the proposed project, including gaps or inequities in how effective teachers, principals, or other School Leaders are distributed across the LEA, as identified using factors such as data on school resources, staffing patterns, school environment, educator support systems, and other school-level factors; (c) A description and evidence of the support and commitment from teachers, principals, or other School Leaders, as applicable to the proposed project, which may include charter school leaders, in the school (including organizations representing teachers, principals, or other school leaders), the community, and the LEA to the activities proposed under the grant; (d) A description of how the eligible applicant will develop and implement a fair, rigorous, valid, reliable, and objective process to evaluate teacher, principal, or other school leader performance, as applicable to the proposed project, under the system that is based in part on measures of student academic achievement, including the baseline performance against which evaluations of improved performance will be made; (e) A description of the LEAs or schools to be served under the grant, including student academic achievement, demographic, and socioeconomic information as identified in the application package for this program; (f) A description of the effectiveness of teachers, principals, or other School Leaders, as applicable to the proposed project, in the LEA or LEAs and the schools to be served under the grant, and the extent to which the system will increase the effectiveness of teachers, principals, or other School Leaders in such schools; (g) A description of how the eligible applicant will use grant funds in each year of the grant, including a timeline for implementation of key grant activities; (h) A description of how the eligible applicant will continue the activities assisted under the grant after the grant period ends; (i) A description of the State, local, or other public or private funds that will be used to supplement the grant, including funds under Title II, part A of the ESEA, and sustain the activities assisted under the grant after the end of the grant period; (j) A description of the rationale for the project; how the proposed activities are evidence-based; and if applicable the prior experience of the eligible entity in developing and implementing such activities.

NOTE: In order to demonstrate that the activities are evidence-based, an applicant may, among other things, provide supporting documentation for the study or studies that serve as the evidence base for one or more of the activities that will be implemented as part of the proposed project. Additionally, we encourage applicants to demonstrate in their application that at least one of the activities to be implemented as part of their proposed project is based on Promising Evidence (as defined in this notice). In recent years, the TIF program has released various reports that document the value of, and explore the implementation of, an

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HCMS2 that includes a PBCS3. In addition, other recent research also explores TSL-type activities. We encourage applicants to include evidence-based activities when considering the full set of TSL activities, such as:

Educator preparation4 Recruitment Educator Induction5 Retention6 Mentoring7

(k) A description of how grant activities will be evaluated, monitored, and reported to the public.

NOTE: In addition, under 34 CFR 75.591, all TSL grantees must cooperate in any evaluation of the program conducted by the Department.

Competitive Preference Priorities:

This TSL competition also has two Competitive Preference Priorities. Applicants must identify these priorities in the program Abstract if they have addressed.

o Competitive Preference Priority 1: Using the HCMS to Improve Equitable Access to Effective

Educators (up to 10 points). Projects that are designed to address the most significant gaps or insufficiencies in student access to effective teachers, School Leaders, or both teachers and School Leaders, in High-Need Schools, including gaps or inequities in how effective teachers, School Leaders, or both, are distributed across the LEA or LEAs the project will serve. At minimum, applicants must:

2 Springer, M. G., Ballou, D., & Peng, A. (2008). Impact of the Teacher Advancement Program on student test score

gains: Findings from an independent appraisal.” Nashville: National Center for Performance Incentives. 3 Chiang, H., Wellington, A., Hallgren, K., Speroni, C., Herrmann, M., Glazerman, S., and Constantine, J. (2015).

Evaluation of Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and impacts of pay-for-performance after two years (NCEE 2015-4020). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

4 Silva, Tim, Allison McKie, Virginia Knechtel, Philip Gleason, Libby Makowsky. (2014, available at https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20154015/). Teaching Residency Programs: A Multisite Look at a New Model to Prepare Teachers for High-Need Schools (NCEE 2015-4002). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

5 Glazerman, S., Dolfin, S., Bleeker, M., Johnson, A., Isenberg, E., Lugo-Gil, J., Grider, M., & Britton, E. (2008). Impacts of comprehensive teacher induction: Results from the first year of a randomized controlled study (NCEE 2009-4034) (available at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Study/67264. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

6 Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., Gregory, A., Mikami, A. Y., & Lun, J. (2011). An interaction-based approach to enhancing secondary school instruction and student achievement. Science, 333(6045), 1034–1037 (available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21852503); New findings on the retention of novice teachers from teaching residency programs Extending work from earlier study.

7 Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., Gregory, A., Mikami, A. Y., & Lun, J. (2011). An interaction-based approach to enhancing secondary school instruction and student achievement. Science, 333(6045), 1034–1037.

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(1) Identify the most significant gaps or insufficiencies in student access to effective teachers, School Leaders, or both, in High-Need Schools, including gaps or inequities in how effective teachers, School Leaders, or both, are distributed across the LEA(s) the project will serve;

(2) Identify relevant factors used in determining such gaps, such as data on availability of school resources, staffing patterns, school climate, and educator support; and

(3) Describe how the strategies proposed for closing the identified gaps are aligned to and are consistent with the strategies identified in the State’s Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators, approved by the Department in 2015.

o Competitive Preference Priority 2: Attracting, Supporting, and Retaining a Diverse and Effective

Workforce (up to 5 points). Projects that are designed to attract, support, and retain a diverse and effective workforce, including effective teachers, School Leaders, or both, from historically underrepresented populations. At minimum, applicants must provide a description detailing their commitment to creating and maintaining a diverse workforce, and their plan for attracting, supporting, and retaining diverse Educators.

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III. Application Submission Procedures

Submission Procedures

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST U.S. Department of Education

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

The deadline for submission of all TSL applications through Grants.gov is March 24, 2017, at 4:30:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time. To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education. Browser Support The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience issues.

For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser

ATTENTION – Adobe Forms and PDF Files Required Applications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download the latest version of Adobe reader. Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download the latest version is available on Grants.gov at this link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. Also, applicants are required to upload their attachments in .pdf format only. (See details below under “Attaching Files – Additional Tips.”) If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726. NEW: In addition to the Adobe form application package, Grants.gov now offers a new option called Workspace for application completion and submission. Workspace allows a team of registered Grants.gov applicants to use a shared online space for completing individual forms and submitting the final application. These forms can be filled out simultaneously by different users, instead of exchanging a single PDF package file via email or a flash drive as is used when completing the traditional Adobe application package. Please go to this Grants.gov link for more information and training, etc. on using Workspace: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html 1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov)

which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete,

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depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov . However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account the Department of Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your

application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM . If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission

on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

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Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or email at: mailto:support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found at this Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

Dial-Up Internet Connections

When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, non-modifiable .PDF files in their application:

Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, and they must be in a read-only, non-modifiable format. PDF files are the only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable

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.PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF files or are password protected files will not be read.

Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Application Tips

I. Register or maintain registration on SAM.gov. The SAM registration process can take approximately seven

business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. Also note that you will need to update your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.

II. Register early on Grants.gov. The registration process may take up to two weeks to complete. For additional

information on the registration and submission process please review the resources available on the Grants.gov Website.

III. Verify that the person assigned to submit the application has been designated as an Authorized Organization

Representative (AOR). Track your AOR status. You must be “active” in order to submit an application on behalf of the organization.

IV. Applications will be reviewed against the absolute Priorities, so it is important that you clearly identify the

Absolute Priorities in your application. V. Clearly state if you are addressing one or both of the Competitive Preference Priorities (CPP). Points will not

be awarded for the priorities if your response is not clearly labeled. Applicants should indicate if the CPPs are being addressed in a separate section of the project narrative or if it being addressed throughout the project narrative.

VI. Review the submission for clarity. Applications will be read by multiple peer reviewers; therefore it is

important to ensure that the application can be understood by someone who is unfamiliar with your project.

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VII. Submit all files in .PDF format. While Grants.gov may accept other format types, the Department’s system,

which receives the files from Grants.gov, will only accept .PDF files. Files submitted in formats other than .PDF may not convert in a legible manner and, in these instances, cannot be reviewed.

VIII. Submit early on Grants.gov. Applications must be finished uploading, and be validated by the Grants.gov

system, by 4:30:00pm, Washington, DC, time on the deadline date. Validation indicates if the submission was successful and may take up to two days. If the submitted application is deemed invalid due to an error, applicants may correct the error and resubmit only if the 4:30:00pm Washington, DC time deadline has not passed. Applicants are encouraged to review the submission to be sure that the files transmitted correctly. Grants.gov may not catch all errors. Late submissions or modifications to the submitted application will not be accepted after the deadline.

IX. Each application will be reviewed under the competition for which it was submitted in the Grants.gov system,

and only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be peer reviewed. Applicants should be careful that they download the intended TSL application package and that they submit their applications under the TSL competition.

NOTE: Applicants will receive multiple emails to confirm submission in Grants.gov, validation, and transmission to

the Department of Education. Once the application is transmitted to the Department, applicants will receive a final email with a unique identifier called a PR Award Number. Use this number when making inquiries about the submitted application. Please review the email carefully to ensure that you submitted the application under the intended competition.

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DUNS Number Instructions

All applicants must have a D-U-N-S number in order to apply for federal funds. NOTE: Check with your fiscal office to see if your institution has an assigned D-U-N-S before contacting Dun & Bradstreet. Please provide the applicant's D-U-N-S Number. You can obtain your D-U-N-S Number at no charge by calling 1-800-333-0505 or by completing a D-U-N-S Number Request Form. The form can be obtained via the Internet at the following URL: http://www.dnb.com/US/duns_update/index.html The D-U-N-S Number is a unique nine digit number that does not convey any information about the recipient. A built-in check digit helps assure the accuracy of the D-U-N-S Number. The ninth digit of each number is the check digit, which is mathematically related to the other digits. It lets computer systems determine if a D-U-N-S Number has been entered correctly. Dun & Bradstreet, a global information services provider, has assigned D-U-N-S numbers to over 43 million companies worldwide. Live help Monday-Friday 8am-6pm (EST) Dial 1-888-814-1435. NOTE: Electronic submission via Grants.gov must use the D-U-N-S number your organization used when it registered in the System for Award Management.

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IV. Application Instructions

All applicants interested in completing a TSL application should first thoroughly review the NIA for FY 2017 published in the Federal Register on December 20, 2016 (81 FR 92793) The NIA will orient applicants to the TSL program by providing the following information:

Background information and purpose of the program;

Eligibility requirements*;

Absolute Priorities*;

Competitive Preference Priorities (optional)*;

Programmatic and application requirements*;

Selection Criteria and assigned points*;

Definition of terms used in the priorities and requirements*;

Procedural and substantive requirements of the application process*; and

Instructions on how to electronically submit the application*.

* Text also included in this application package.

Applicants should pay close attention to the Selection Criteria as applications will be evaluated and scored against these criteria.

Completing and Submitting Your Application

A complete application consists of the following components: Required Forms:

ED Standard Forms; and

Assurances and Certifications

Application Narrative: The TSL application will use the following Grants.gov Narrative Forms.

ED Abstract Narrative Form; o The ED Abstract Narrative Form is where you will attach your one-page

project abstract. Specific instructions on what to include in the abstract are on page 27 of this application package.

Project Narrative Form; o The Project Narrative Form is where you will attach how your proposed

project meets the Absolute Priorities, one or both of the Competitive Preference Priorities, the three programmatic requirements, and the statutory application requirements. This also . is where you discuss the proposed project in a way that best responds to the Selection Criteria. Applicants should include a Table of Contents. Specific instructions are included on page 27 of this application package.

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Eligible applicants are strongly encouraged to limit the project narrative

to 40 pages. The Table of Contents does not count towards this desired limit.

Budget Narrative Form; and o The Budget Narrative Form is where you will provide a line item budget (ED

524) and a budget narrative for the proposed TSL project and matching funds. While the budget narrative should project costs of all partners and any other entities who will work on the project, only one combined budget representing the total of all costs of the proposed project should be provided. This budget should reflect all 5 years of the proposed project period. Specific instructions are included on page 32 of this application package.

Other Attachments Form (upload appendices here) o The Other Attachments Form is where you will attach the application

appendices. Specific Appendix instructions are included on page 42 of this application package.

o Optional program checklists start on page 36 of this application package. TSL Program Forms and Optional Program Checklists include:

TSL Optional General Program Requirements Checklist*

TSL Optional High Need School Eligibility Checklist*

The Checklists above are optional; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to fill in these checklists or something similar to ensure that all TSL program requirements have been addressed and to ensure that TSL program staff and peer reviewers can find the information in your application that addresses each applicable element from the NIA. NOTE: If you have multiple documents to be attached to one of the above narrative sections (except for Other Attachments), we recommend that you merge them into one .PDF file and upload them to the appropriate narrative.

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Addressing Your Questions

The Department provides multiple avenues for interested applicants to ask questions and clarify their understanding of the TSL competition and process. Applicants should keep in mind that the Department cannot provide guidance on specific proposals. The Department will soon make available a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document on the TSL Web site, at http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-and-school-leader-incentive-program/. Applicants should Look for this FAQ document, and review it carefully to see whether their particular questions have been addressed. The Department also plans to update, as appropriate, this document in response to applicant questions. Interested applicants may send their questions to The Department has established the following address, TSL@ed.gov,where potential applicants may ask questions about the TSL competition. In addition, the Department plans to host an informational session, live or online, designed to help interested applicants with the application process. We encourage interested applicants to participate in these sessions. Participation in the Webinars is voluntary. For those who are not able to attend, the training will be available via a link posted on the TSL Web site. http://innovation.ed.gov/what-we-do/teacher-quality/teacher-and-school-leader-incentive-program/.

Transparency

After awards are made under these competitions, all of the submitted applications, together with reviewer scores and comments for those applications, may be posted on the Department’s web site.

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A. Required Forms

Standard Forms Instructions

Applicants must submit along with their project narratives the required standard forms, assurances, and certifications included in the list below. • Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424); NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will review only materials/files attached to the section labeled “Other Attachments Form.” • Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424; • Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524) Sections A & B; • Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL); • General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements - Section 427; • Assurances, Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B); and • Grants.gov Lobbying form (formerly ED 80-0013 form). Electronic copies and instructions for the required forms can be found in the Grants.gov submission package.

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B. Application Narrative Instructions

ED Abstract Narrative

Eligible applicants must submit a one-page abstract. The one-page abstract, limited to 2000 characters, should be attached to the ED Abstract Narrative Form, and include the following items:

The name and eligibility classification of each applicant:

Provide a list of the names of all participating LEAs, State agencies (including the Bureau of Indian Education if it is an applicant), or nonprofit or for-profit organizations or entities in the application; and

Indicate if the application is from a single eligible applicant or a partnership and identify the applicant’s eligibility classification (e.g., an LEA).

The total number of schools impacted by the project in the participating LEA(s);

The total number of schools, both high-need and not-high-need, in which educators would be served by the proposed TSL-funded PBCS;

A summary statement of the project objectives and activities; and

An identification of an Competitive Preference Priorities for which the applicant is applying.

Project Narrative

The Project Narrative should describe the project that an applicant would carry out as well as other required elements if its application is funded. It also should include the eligible applicant’s response to the Selection Criteria (provided in the last portion of this Section IV.B) since the application will be evaluated and scored against these criteria. The NIA identifies the maximum possible score for each criterion. The Project Narrative should, as a general matter, follow the order of the Selection Criteria. It should contain clear headings to help the Department staff and peer reviewers match the narrative with the Selection Criteria. Finally, the Project Narrative also may include the eligible applicant’s response, if any, to one or both of the Competitive Preference Priorities. It is also important that applicants here clearly address (a) the Absolute Priority 1 and Absolute Priority 2, 3, or 4, (b) Programmatic Requirements 1 and 3, (c) the statutory application requirements, and either or both of the Competitive Preference Priorities for which they wish to apply. For Programmatic Requirement 2, the required signed assurance attesting to the applicant’s intent and ability to meet the TSL match requirement should be included in the Appendices. For Programmatic Requirement 3, the documentation of High-Need Schools should be included in the Appendices. The budgetary information associated with the match – and any other non-Federal resources offered to support the project -- should be included in the Budget of Non-Federal funds (Section B of ED Form 524) and the Budget Narrative. Other

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relevant information about the match may be included in the Project Narrative. Depending on the priority or requirement, an applicant may be able to address a priority or requirement fully within the context of its selection criteria discussion. In other cases, an applicant may wish to address a priority or requirement outside of the selection criteria discussion.

This section, along with the Table of Contents, should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov, and should be organized in the manner described below in order to expedite the review process. Ensure that you only attach the U.S. Department of Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (i.e., read-only, non-modifiable .pdf files). Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application. When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double spaced page.

Page Guidelines

We encourage applicants to limit this section of the application to the equivalent of no more than 40 pages and adhere to the following guidelines:

A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial.

NOTE: The page recommendation does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the Budget Narrative justification; the assurances and certifications; the one-page abstract; the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to the entire “Project Narrative” section except for the Table of Contents.

Identifying Contractors or Vendors in the Project Application

In August 2013, the Department issued §75.135 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 75.135). This regulation permits applicants for TSL

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and other Department competitive grants, under certain conditions, to identify in their project applications those entities with which they would contract for data collection, data analysis, evaluation services, or essential services, where these activities are required by the program – without the need to follow otherwise applicable Federal procurement requirements. This provision, for example, encompasses procurements for project evaluations, such as grantees may use under TSL, that a grantee issues in response to a competition’s selection criteria.

Specifically, §75.135 permits applicants to identify these vendors or contractors for such essential services if—

1. They are selected through the simple small purchase procedures authorized under 2 CFR 200.320(b), which requires only that price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources, regardless of whether the contract amount exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold defined in 2 CFR 200.88 (currently $150,000), and

2. The applicant certifies that "any employee, officer, or agent participating in the selection, award, or administration of a contract is free of any real or apparent conflict of interest." See §75.135(c) of EDGAR. (Even when relying on the flexibility provided by sec. 75.135(b), applicants also should take steps to avoid organizational and other conflicts of interest. See 2 CFR 200.318(c)(2).)8

Of course, unless an applicant implements these small purchase procedures before the competition is announced, it will have a limited time before the application must be submitted to do so. The purpose of the small purchase procedures in sec. 200.320(b) is to ensure that, even for small procurements, prospective applicants and grantees do not just choose their favorite vendors but rather have some objective information about a reasonable number of potential vendors so the applicant can make an unbiased, informed selection. This regulation does not require an elaborate or formal process of obtaining the needed price quotes, and is intended to permit selection of an appropriate vendor in a short period of time.

While there may be other permissible approaches, in implementing sec. 75.135(b) the Department believes that an LEA or any other prospective grantee should use its best judgment in obtaining a single vendor that it identifies to carry out the activities proposed in the application, even if, at the time the vendor is selected, the applicant has not completed the process of preparing its application and the specifications that the vendor will be expected to meet. For example, as it develops its proposal, an applicant might submit to an appropriate

8 Prior to issuance of this regulation, grantees (other than States) could select contractors where the contract

amount exceeded the small purchase threshold only through competitive bids (unless only one vendor was plainly available and thus competitive bidding would be infeasible. (If they choose, States may continue to follow their own procedures that apply to contracts paid for with non-Federal funds.) Applicants still will have to determine whether applicable State or local law prohibits them from using this flexibility.

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number of potential vendors a request that each respond with basic information on key topics such as--

Experience and expertise with the kind of work the applicant needs.

Knowledge of, and experience working with the program and the kinds of educators and entities to be served

Experience producing high quality deliverables and reports the applicant would have to deliver if the application is funded.

Basic information about the vendor’s cost structure that fit the kind of project design the applicant envisions.

Based on the best information about the kinds of deliverables, timeline for work, etc. that the applicant can provide at the time of the solicitation, how the potential vendor would address the specific deliverable that would be required under the grant.

The applicant would then use price and other information provided by these possible vendors to select the vendor it would use, ensuring in doing so that products or services to be procured are of adequate quality, and identify the selected vendor in its application.

FY 2017 TSL Application Grant Selection Criteria

We include below the Selection Criteria for the FY 2017 TLS competition, as published in the NIA in the Federal Register on December 20, 2016. The maximum score for all the selection criteria is 100 points. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated in parentheses. Under section 75.201(c) of EDGAR, the Secretary evaluates each factor contained in each Selection Criterion equally.

(a) Evidence of Support (30 points). In determining evidence of support of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a comprehensive effort to improve

teaching and learning and support rigorous academic standards for students. (2) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project involve the

collaboration of appropriate partners for maximizing the effectiveness of project services. (3) The extent to which the proposed project will integrate with or build on similar or related

efforts to improve relevant outcomes (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)), using existing funding streams from other programs or policies supported by community, State, and Federal resources.

(b) Need for Project (25 points). In determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The extent to which the proposed project will provide services or otherwise address the

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needs of students at risk of educational failure. (2) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or opportunities

have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses.

(c) Quality of the Project Design (20 points). In determining the quality of the project design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors: (1) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a rationale. (2) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will

successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs. (3) The extent to which the grant activities will be evaluated, monitored, and reported to the

public.

(d) Quality of the management plan (20 points). In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks.

(e) Adequacy of resources (5 points). The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project based on the following factors: (1) The potential for continued support of the project after Federal funding ends, including, as

appropriate, the demonstrated commitment of appropriate entities to such support. (2) The potential for the incorporation of project purposes, activities, or benefits into the

ongoing program of the agency of organization at the end of the Federal funding.

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C. Budget Narratives

This section should be attached as a single document to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. Ensure that you only attach the U.S. Department of Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (read-only, non-modifiable .pdf files). Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

In accordance with 34 CFR 75.232, Department of Education staff perform a cost analysis of the each recommended project to ensure that costs relate to the activities and objectives of the project, are reasonable, allowable and allocable. The budget should only include costs that are allowable, reasonable and necessary for carrying out the objectives of the TSL project. Rules about allowable costs are set out in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, as adopted by the Department at 2 C.F.R. §3474. During the Department’s budget review that occurs as a part of the grant selection process, we may delete or reduce costs from the budget that are not reasonable, necessary, allocable to the program, or are otherwise unallowable. .The budget narratives in each application should be consistent with the content of Sections A and B of ED 524 Form and provide sufficient detail about the use of TSL and non-Federal matching funds to:

o Give an itemized budget breakdown for each year of the proposed project (up to 60

months); o Provide the basis for estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff

travel, materials and supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs and any other projected expenditures;

o Clarify the relationship between the requested funds and project activities and outcomes; o Describe the total amount that will be expended as shown in the ED 524 Form; o Enable reviewers and project staff to understand how the requested funds identified in the

ED 524 Form will be used.

Budget Narrative Guidelines

Remember that you must provide all requested budget information for each year of the project (up to 60 months) and the total amount identified in Sections A and B of the ED 524 Form in order to be considered for Federal funding. The annual budget period will be October 1 – September 30. For instance, the budget for year 1 should include the estimated costs for October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018, and so forth. In a single document attached to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form, each application must provide the following two budget narratives:

1. TSL Grant Funds Budget Narrative

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The first budget narrative must align with and break down the costs budgeted in Section A of ED Form 524. Section A relates to costs to be supported by the requested TSL grant. The applicant should provide sufficient detail to enable reviewers and project staff to understand how requested funds will be used, how much will be expended, and the relationship between the requested funds and project activities and outcomes. The following section, “Instructions for the Budget Narratives,” illustrates the expected format and level of detail. (This budget narrative will serve to meet the requirements of Section C of ED Form 524.)

2. Non-Federal and Non-TSL Federal Program Funds Budget Narrative

Section 2212(f) of the ESEA provides that each eligible entity that receives a TSL grant must provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount of the TSL grant, which may be provided in cash or in kind, to carry out the activities supported by the grant. Programmatic Requirement 2 of this TSL competition further requires applicants and grantees to budget their matching contributions on an annual basis relative to each annual award of TSL grant funds. The budget narrative must include a breakdown of all non-Federal contributions budgeted in Section B of ED Form 524, that will be used to support the project. These non-Federal costs must be identified in Section B of ED Form 524, and described in the budget narrative in the same manner as required for TSL funds used to support the project.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Section 75.700 of EDGAR (34 C.F.R. 75.700) requires each grantee to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the program and to the content of its approved application. Therefore, if an application is approved, the grantee is responsible for fulfilling the TSL match requirement, and the commitment of non-TSL funds or in-kind resources set forth in Section B of ED Form 524 (or other portion) of its application.

Non-Federal Funds In this Budget Narrative, applicants should include detailed information about any non-Federal resources, financial and non-financial, that will be used to support the PBCS, the educator evaluation systems, and other project costs during the grant period. In this Budget Narrative, applicants should reflect all of the applicable non-Federal resources referenced in their Project Narrative related to Selection Criteria (e), Adequacy of Resources. If a partner member plans to contribute services or materials as part of the project's non-Federal match or other contribution of non-TSL resources, the value of these services or materials should be indicated in Section B of ED Form 524. The value of these services or materials should be calculated according to 2 C.F.R. 200.306 and cost principles in Uniform Guidance at 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

Non-TSL Federal Funds If the applicant intends to contribute other (i.e., non-TSL) non-Federal funds to the project, it should include in the budget narrative section of the application a

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table that clearly describes, by year, the source, amount, and proposed use of any non-TSL Federal funds that the applicant proposes to contribute to the proposed TSL project. (These non-TSL Federal funds may not be used as matching contributions.) In this Budget Narrative, applicants should include detailed information about non-TSL Federal resources, financial and non-financial, that will be used to support the PBCS, the educator evaluation systems, and other project costs during the grant period. Applicants should reflect all of the applicable non-TSL Federal resources referenced in their Project Narrative related to Selection Criteria (e), Adequacy of Resources. If any applicant plans to contribute services or materials as part of the project's contribution of non-TSL Federal resources, the value of these services or materials (calculated according to 2 C.F.R. 200.306, and cost principles in the Uniform Guidance at 2 C.F.R. Part 200)) should be indicated in detail.

Instructions for Explaining Performance-Based Compensation Costs

o In the ED form 524 Section A and the budget narrative, applicants must budget incentive costs in the year that these expenses are earned. While we realize that in many cases the actual payment of these funds will not occur until the next budget period (i.e., incentives for Year 1 are not paid until Year 2), the budget form requires applicants to list expenses using a 5 year budget period. As such, applicants must include performance-based compensation costs in the year that the award will be earned. For instance, if an applicant anticipates using the TSL grant to make performance-based awards to educators for their performance in Year 1 with the TSL grant, the applicant should include those expenses in Year 1 budget. Likewise, if an applicant anticipates using the TSL grant to make performance-based awards to educators for their performance in Year 5 of the grant, the applicant should include those expenses in the Year 5 TSL budget.

o There are two options for how an applicant treats the compensation provided to teachers,

principals, and other personnel under its proposed PBCS.

If a fringe benefits rate will be applied to the added compensation or incentives for teachers, principals, and other personnel, an applicant should include the performance-based compensation in the “personnel” line item and the costs generated by applying the fringe benefit rate in the “fringe benefits” line item.

If you do not plan to apply a fringe rate to the performance-based compensation costs, you should include this cost in the “other” line item.

NOTE: An applicant must clearly explain in the Budget Narrative why it has chosen to list

performance-based compensation costs in the “personnel” and “fringe benefits” line items or the “other” line item. See the section below for more information. Performance-based compensation costs should not be listed in the “training stipends” line item.

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Instructions for the Budget Narratives

To facilitate the review of your Budget Narratives, we encourage each applicant to include

the following information for each year of the project. 1. Personnel: Include fees and expenses for consultants under contractual.

Provide the title and duties of each position to be compensated under this project. Provide the salary for each position under this project. Provide the amounts of time, such as hours or percentage of time to be expended by

each position under this project. Explain the importance of each position to the success of the project. Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations. Provide performance-based compensation costs if fringe benefits will be applied. If applicable, provide a detailed explanation of the performance-based

compensation costs. These costs should be clearly broken out by teachers, principals, and other personnel. Provide the total number of teachers in the all of the high-need schools listed in response to Requirement 2, and the amount of TSL funds requested for the PBCS for these positions.

Example: The following scenario assumes that there are 96 teachers in the school and that 80 of those teachers will earn an award. In this scenario, 8 FTE career ladder positions and 30 part-time mentors will be paid with TSL funds.

Personnel: The following requested personnel will all be hired as employees of the project.

% FTE Base Salary

Total

Project Director (1): John Doe will be responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Performance-Based Teacher and Principal Compensation Program. His qualifications are described in detail in the project on page 24 of the application.

.8 FTE (or

80%)

$65,000

$52,000

Performance-based compensation costs: 80 educators of the 96 eligible will earn an average award amount of $3,000/year.

$240,000

Our TSL project will fill 8 FTE career ladder positions. Each position is budgeted at a $75,000 salary per year.

8 x 1.0 FTE

$75,000 x 8

$600,000

Salary Augmentations for part-time mentor teachers: 20 teachers will serve in a mentor position during 10% of their time (20 x .1 = 2 FTEs). Each teacher will earn $8,000year.

$160,000

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2. Fringe Benefits Give the fringe benefit percentages of all personnel included under Personnel. Include fringe benefits applied to incentive awards if such expenditures are included

under Personnel. Provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated. Do not include fringe benefits for salaries and wages that are treated as part of the

indirect cost.

3. Travel Explain the purpose of the travel, how it relates to project success, how it aligns with

the project goals and objectives and which program participants or staff will participate.

Submit an estimate for the number of trips, points of origin and destination, and purpose of travel.

Submit an itemized estimate of transportation and/or subsistence costs for each trip. Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations. Applicants must budget for attendance at two required annual meetings. There are

no registration fees for these meetings. For planning purposes, applicants should include funds for transportation, lodging, and per diem costs for the following meetings:

o Required Meeting: Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program Grantee

Meeting this 1.5 day meeting will provide participants with key information needed to manage and implement a discretionary grant awarded by ED and technical assistance from experts. Grantee meetings will be held annually in a major U.S. city. Include travel of persons such as consultants under consultants, in line 6 of the 524 budget form and budget narrative.

Required Participants: Please budget for three participants including the project director. Expenses for this meeting include:

Round-trip airfare for three participants to a major U.S. city Lodging expenses for three participants for up to four nights in a major U.S.

city Per diem expenses for three participants for up to five days in a major U.S.

city Funds for local ground transportation

o Required Meeting: Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program Topical

Meeting this 1.5 day meeting will provide participants with in depth information on a topic related to implementing PBCSs. Topical meetings will be held annually in a major U.S. city. Required Participants: Please budget for two participants including the project director.

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Expenses for this meeting include: Round-trip airfare for two participants to a major U.S. city Lodging expenses for two participants for up to four nights in a major U.S.

city Per diem expenses for two participants for up to five days in a major U.S.

city Funds for local ground transportation

Example:

Travel: Travel expenses include the average airfare of $400 each, in addition to a hotel room at $150/night for two nights, local transportation of $50, and per diem of $40

# Trips $ per Trip Total

TSL Annual Grantee Meeting: This meeting will provide technical assistance for our grant site and provide collaboration among all TSL grantees. The total trip will last 1.5 full days.

3

(1 Project Dir. & 2 other key

personnel)

$790

$2,370

4. Equipment

Indicate the cost of tangible, non-expendable personal property that has a usefulness greater than one year and acquisition costs that are the lesser of the capitalization level established by the applicant entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000 per article. Lower limits may be established to maintain consistency with the applicant’s policy.

Indicate the estimated unit cost for each item to be purchased. Identify each type of equipment. Provide adequate justification of the need for items of equipment to be purchased. Explain the purpose of the equipment, and how it relates to project success. Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Example:

Equipment: Consistent with our organization’s policy, equipment is defined as tangible, non-expendable, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $1,000 or more per unit.

Cost of Item

Item Description

Total

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Desktop Computers (3): Three desktop computers will be needed to expand our current office and supply the needs of 3 new employees.

$1,500

Desktop computer including monitor & printer

$4,500

5. Supplies

Show all tangible, expendable personal property. Direct supplies and materials differ from equipment in that they are consumable, expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost. Supplies purchased with grant funds should directly benefit the grant project and be necessary for achieving the goals of the project.

Provide an itemized estimate of materials and supplies by nature of expense or general category (e.g., instructional materials, office supplies, etc.).

Explain the purpose of the supplies and how they relate to project success. Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations. Individual pieces of equipment that are under $5,000 per unit are generally

considered supplies. However, as noted in the example under Equipment, an applicant’s organization may have a different equipment policy.

6. Contractual The contractual category should include all costs specifically incurred with actions

that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established internal procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract.

Provide the purpose and relation to project success. Describe the products to be acquired, and/or the professional services to be

provided. Provide a brief justification for the use of the contractors selected.

NOTE: Contractors are not to be named in an application since contracts will be competed following the award of a grant. If an applicant proposes in its application to use an existing contract or prior selection of any vendor for any activities to be supported with Federal TSL funds (or other Federal grant funds), the applicant must be prepared to demonstrate how it is in compliance with the "Procurement Practices" described in the “Application Information” section of this application package. Additionally, if an applicant intends to take advantage of the flexibility allowed in 34 C.F.R. 75.135 in order to use small purchase procurement procedures for contracts for data collection, data analysis, evaluation services or essential services, the applicant should carefully review the requirements in 34 C.F.R. 75.135 to ensure all required information is included in the application and budget narrative.

Provide the projected cost per contractor. Provide the amount of time that the project will be working with the contractor(s). For professional services contracts, provide the amounts of time to be devoted to the

project, including the costs to be charged to this proposed grant award. Provide a brief statement that you have followed the procedures for procurement

under 2 C.F.R. 200.317 – 200.326 or the competition exception in 34 C.F.R. 75.135.

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Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Example:

Contractual: Timing of Costs

Total

ABC District plans to contract with an external evaluator to conduct the local evaluation, using both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. ABC expects to receive bi-annual evaluation reports and surveys from the new contractor. Please see page 37 of the project proposal for more information on the evaluation design.

Bi-Annual

$XXXX

7. Construction

Not applicable. 8. Other

Provide performance-based compensation costs if fringe benefits will not be applied. Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. For example, include costs such as

space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. Do not include costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.

List and identify items by major type or category (e.g., communications, printing, postage, equipment rental, etc.).

Provide the cost per item (printing = $500, postage = $750). Provide the purpose for the expenditures and relation to project success. Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

9. Total Direct Costs

The sum total of all direct expenditures, per budget category, of lines 1-8. 10. Indirect Costs

Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per sections 75.560 – 75.564 of EDGAR. Please note, an applicant that that does not have a federally recognized indirect cost rate agreement may, if awarded a grant, charge indirect costs at a temporary rate of 10 percent of budgeted direct salaries and wages. See 34 CFR 75.560(c). In addition, under 2 CFR 200.414, certain grantees that have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. LEAs, however, are not eligible for this de minimis rate.

11. Training Stipends

The training stipend line item only pertains to costs associated with long term training programs and college or university coursework, not workshops or short-

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term training or professional development offerings.

12. Total Costs Sum total of direct costs, indirect costs, and stipends. Please provide total costs for each year of the project as well as grand total cost for

the entire project period (up to 60 months).

NOTE about Indirect Costs:The Department of Education (ED) reimburses grantees for its portion of indirect costs that a grantee incurs on projects funded by the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program (CFDA 84.374A).The applicant should include any proposed indirect costs in its proposed TSL-supported budget and budget narrative. In order to charge indirect costs to this program, a grantee must have a currently approved Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) agreement. If an applicant does not have a current indirect cost rate agreement, it does not need to submit any documentation regarding indirect costs with its application. These proposed indirect costs should be calculated using a temporary rate of ten percent and that rate should be applied to all direct salaries and wages. See 34 C.F.R §75.560(c). However, the applicant must expeditiously take steps to obtain an indirect cost rate agreement after the grant award is made. The rules allow for a temporary ICR of 10% of budgeted salaries and wages and require the grantee to submit an ICR proposal within 90 days after issuance of the grant award notification. An applicant selected for funding, that does not have a currently approved ICR, must review and follow the final regulations published at 34 CFR 75.560 in the Federal Register on December 7, 2007 (72 FR 69145). To get an indirect cost rate agreement, a successful applicant that is an SEA or nonprofit organization must submit an indirect cost proposal to its cognizant Federal agency within 90 days of receiving its TSL grant award notification. See section 75.560(b) of EDGAR (34 C.F.R. §75.560(b)). (The cognizant Federal agency is generally the Federal department or agency providing the grantee with the most Federal funding subject to indirect cost support or an agency otherwise designated by OMB.) If the grantee is an LEA, however, the grantee should contact its State education agency (SEA) to obtain an indirect cost agreement. The grantee should inform ED that it has taken this step and forward to the ED program office the indirect cost rate agreement that it eventually obtains. For additional information about obtaining an approved indirect cost rate or applying for an indirect cost rate, contact the Department’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer at (202) 245-8035 or by using the information provided at the following URL: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgreps.html. The ICR must be negotiated with and approved by the grantee’s cognizant agency, i.e., either (1) the federal agency from which it has received the most direct funding, subject to indirect cost support; (2) the federal agency specifically assigned cognizance by the Office of Management and Budget; or (3) the State agency that provides the most subgrant funds to the grantee (if no direct federal awards are received).

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NOTE: Applicants should pay special attention to specific questions on the application budget form (ED 524) about their cognizant agency and the ICR being used in the budget. Applicants should be aware that ED is very often not the cognizant agency for its grantees. Rather, ED accepts the currently approved ICR established by the appropriate cognizant agency. Applicants are encouraged to have an accountant calculate a proposed ICR using current information in the audited financial statements, actual cost data or the Internal Revenue Service Form 990. Applicants should use this proposed rate in the application materials and indicate the documentation used to calculate the rate. Guidance related to calculating an ICR can be found on ED's website at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.html. If the requested budget does not include these estimated indirect costs, they will not be included in the budget approved by the Department that forms the basis of the grant award. This means that, after award, a grantee would only have funds with which to charge indirect costs to the grant if the approved direct costs of the grantee’s project for any budget period exceed the grantee's actual direct costs. Where this occurs, the grantee may submit a requested budget revision to the Department program office to use the excess funds budgeted for direct costs to cover its indirect costs.

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D. Other Attachment Forms Applicants should attach all appendices to the Other Attachments Form. For each appendix, applicants are asked to save files as a .PDF, label each file with the Appendix name and upload the file to the Other Attachments Form. The Other Attachments Form can support up to ten attachments, therefore it is unnecessary to merge appendices into one document.

Ensure that you only attach the U.S. Department of Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice (read-only, non-modifiable .pdf files). Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

Please note that Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

Instructions for Appendices

Applicants are strongly encouraged to follow the instructions below when uploading

information to the Appendices: Appendix A: TSL Optional Application Requirements Checklist

Appendix B: TSL Optional High-Need School Checklist Appendix C: Logic Model Appendix D: Resumes of Key Personnel

Appendix E: Letters of Support and Memorandum of Understanding from partners,

if applicable

Appendix F: Other documents, if applicable

NOTE: Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the optional checklists on the following pages to document and identify where required information can be found in the proposed application. Use of the checklists will enable reviewers and Department staff to identify where in your applications required information is located, and prevent your applications from being found ineligible for funding because this information cannot be located.

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TSL Application Programmatic and Statutory Requirements Checklist (Optional)

To be considered for funding, applicants must address the following general program application and program requirements that the NIA requires. To ensure the fulfillment of every program requirement and authorized activity listed below, the Department strongly encourages the applicant, to indicate the page number(s) where the specific component is located in the program narrative on the left side of the page for the elements of the Absolute Priority and Requirement 1.

(1)_____ (2)_____ (3)_____ (4)_____ (5)_____

Absolute Priority 1: Human Capital Management System (HCMS). To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of its

existing LEA-wide HCMS (or, in the case of a consortium application or an SEA application, the shared HCMS that currently exists across the proposed LEAs that will participate in this project), including a description of its PBCS. In addition, the application must describe-- (1) How the HCMS currently includes an Evaluation and Support System for teachers, School

Leaders, or both, that reflects clear and fair measures of performance, based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic achievement;

(2) Any proposed modifications of the HCMS under the proposed project, including modifications that expand or improve the Evaluation and Support System as defined in this notice;

(3) How the Evaluation and Support System will provide ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and feedback for improvement, including professional development opportunities designed to increase effectiveness during the entire project period;

(4) A data system that links Educators with student academic achievement data; and (5) How the HCMS uses performance information from the Evaluation and Support System

to inform key school- and district-level human capital decisions as decisions on preparation, recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation (including performance–based compensation), professional development, tenure, and promotion, particularly as they affect Educators working in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

(1)_____

Absolute Priority 2: Evaluation and Support Systems for Teachers. To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of how its

project would enhance its Evaluation and Support System for teachers in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

(1)_____

Absolute Priority 3: Evaluation and Support Systems for School Leaders. To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of how its

project would enhance its Evaluation and Support System for School Leaders in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

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(1)_____

Absolute Priority 4: Evaluation and Support Systems for Teachers and School Leaders. To meet this priority, the applicant must include, in its application, a description of how its

project would enhance its Evaluation and Support System for teachers and School Leaders in High-Need Schools in the LEA or LEAs the project will serve.

(A.)_____ (i)_____ (ii)_____ (B)_____ (C)_____ (i)_____ (II)_____ (D)_____ (IV)_____ (V)_____ (VI)_____ (ii)_____

Programmatic Requirement 1: Use of Funds. Each applicant must demonstrate how it will use TSL grant funds to develop, implement,

improve, or expand, in collaboration with Educators and members of the public, one or more of the following: A. Developing or improving an Evaluation and Support System, including as part of an

HCMS, that: i. Reflects clear and fair measures of teacher or School Leader performance, or both,

based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic achievement; and

ii. Provides teachers, or School Leaders, or both, with ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and feedback for improvement, including professional development opportunities designed to increase effectiveness.

B. Conducting outreach within an LEA or a State to gain input on how to construct an Evaluation and Support System and to develop support for the Evaluation and Support System, including by training appropriate personnel in how to observe and evaluate teachers, or School Leaders, or both.

C. Providing School Leaders with-- Balanced autonomy to make budgeting, scheduling, and other school-level

decisions in a manner that meets the needs of the school without compromising the intent or essential components of the policies of the LEA or State; and

Authority to make staffing decisions that meet the needs of the school, such as building an instructional leadership team that includes teacher leaders or offering opportunities for teams or pairs of effective teachers or candidates to teach or start teaching in High-Need Schools together.

D. Implementing, as part of a comprehensive PBCS, a differentiated salary structure, which may include bonuses and stipends, to one or both of the following:

i. Teachers who--

IV. Teach in High-Need Schools or high-need subjects; V. Raise student academic achievement; or

VI. Take on additional leadership responsibilities; or School Leaders who serve in High-Need Schools and raise student academic

achievement in the schools. E. Improving the LEA’s system and process for the recruitment, selection, placement, and

retention of effective teachers, or School Leaders, or both, in High-Need Schools, such as by improving LEA policies and procedures to ensure that High-Need schools are competitive and timely in--

i. Attracting, hiring, and retaining effective Educators; ii. Offering bonuses or higher salaries to effective Educators; or

iii. Establishing or strengthening School Leader Residency Programs and Teacher Residency Programs.

F. Instituting career advancement opportunities characterized by increased responsibility

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(E)_____ (i)_____ (ii)_____ (iii)_____ (F)_____

and pay that reward and recognize effective teachers, principals, or other School Leaders in High-Need Schools and enable them to expand their leadership and results, such as through teacher-led professional development, mentoring, coaching, hybrid roles, administrative duties, and career ladders.

(1)_____

Programmatic Requirement 2: Matching. Each applicant must provide a signed assurance attesting to its intent and ability to meet the TSL requirement in section 2212(f) of the ESEA that the applicant provide, from non-Federal sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount of the grant, which may be provided in cash or in kind, to carry out the activities supported by the grant. Applicants and grantees must budget their matching contributions on an annual basis relative to each annual award of TSL grant funds.

(a)_____ (b)_____ (c)_____

Statutory Application Requirements (ESEA section 2212(c)):

Each eligible applicant desiring a grant under this program must submit an application that contains—

(a) A description of the PBCS or HCMS that the eligible applicant proposes to develop, implement, improve, or expand through the grant; (b) A description of the most significant gaps or insufficiencies in student access to effective teachers, principals, or other School Leaders in High-Need Schools, as applicable to the proposed project, including gaps or inequities in how effective teachers, principals, or other School Leaders are distributed across the LEA, as identified using factors such as data on school resources, staffing patterns, school environment, educator support systems, and other school-level factors; (c) A description and evidence of the support and commitment from teachers, principals, or other School Leaders, as applicable to the proposed project, which may include charter school leaders, in the school (including organizations representing teachers, principals, or other school leaders), the community, and the LEA to the activities proposed under the grant;

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(d)_____ (e)_____ (f)_____ (g)_____ (h)_____ (i)_____ (j)_____

(d) A description of how the eligible applicant will develop and implement a fair, rigorous, valid, reliable, and objective process to evaluate teacher, principal, or other school leader performance, as applicable to the proposed project, under the system that is based in part on measures of student academic achievement, including the baseline performance against which evaluations of improved performance will be made; (e) A description of the LEAs or schools to be served under the grant, including student academic achievement, demographic, and socioeconomic information as identified in the application package for this program; (f) A description of the effectiveness of teachers, principals, or other School Leaders, as applicable to the proposed project, in the LEA or LEAs and the schools to be served under the grant, and the extent to which the system will increase the effectiveness of teachers, principals, or other School Leaders in such schools; (g) A description of how the eligible applicant will use grant funds in each year of the grant, including a timeline for implementation of key grant activities; (h) A description of how the eligible applicant will continue the activities assisted under the grant after the grant period ends; (i) A description of the State, local, or other public or private funds that will be used to supplement the grant, including funds under Title II, part A of the ESEA, and sustain the activities assisted under the grant after the end of the grant period; (j) A description of the rationale for the project; how the proposed activities are evidence-based; and if applicable the prior experience of the eligible entity in developing and implementing such activities.

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TSL OPTIONAL HIGH-NEED SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY

CHECKLIST Programmatic Requirement 3: Documentation of High-Need Schools. Each applicant must demonstrate, in its application, that at least the majority of schools whose

Educators will participate in the implementation of the TSL-funded PBCS are High-Need Schools (as defined in the NIA). In doing so, each applicant must provide, in its application:

(pg.)_____

(pg.)_____

(pg.)_____

A. A list of schools in which the proposed TSL-supported PBCS would

be implemented, and an identification of which of these schools are High-Need Schools; AND

B. For each High-Need School listed, the most current data on the percentage of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, or are considered students from low-income families based on another poverty measure that the LEA uses under section 1113(a)(5) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5));

AND C. A description of the applicant’s rationale for extending the TSL-

funded PBCS to any Educators who are not working in High-Need Schools.

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FY 2017 Application Checklist

Applicants should review this checklist once they believe they have completed their TSL applications. The checklist contains all mandatory parts of the application.

ED Standard Forms

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424 Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524) Sections A & B Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

Assurances and Certifications

GEPA Section 427 Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) Grants.gov Lobby form (formerly ED 80-0013 form)

Application Narrative

ED Abstract Narrative Form Project Narrative Form Budget Narrative Form Other Attachments Form (Upload Appendices here)

Charter School Documentation, if applicable. Applicants that are charter schools should include a letter from the authorized chartering agency or SEA that confirms their status in the State as LEAs.

Commitment letters, surveys, or other evidence demonstrating educator support

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: All applicants should attach a copy of their current

indirect cost rate agreement.

Individual Resumes for Project Directors and Key Personnel: Provide brief resumes or job descriptions that describe their qualifications for the responsibilities they will carry out under the project.

NOTE: Eligible applicants should attach all appendices to the Other Attachments Form. The Grants.gov system will allow applicants to attach as many as ten separate appendices in this section; however, applicants are encouraged to limit the number of appendix entries to a reasonable number for a reviewer to read. The entire application package should be no larger than 8MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

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E. Additional Information

Applicable Definitions

The following terms, used in the FY 2017 TLSL grant competition’s absolute priorities, competitive preference priorities, programmatic requirements and/or statutory application requirements, were defined in the NIA for the competition published on December 20, 2017, as follows: Correlational Study with Statistical Controls for Selection Bias means a study that (1) estimates how a relevant outcome varies with the receipt of a project component, and (2) uses sampling of analysis methods (e.g., multiple regression) to account for at least some of the differences between the groups being compared. Demonstrates a Rationale means the project component is supported by a reasonable logic model that is informed by research or an evaluation that suggests how the project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes. Educator means a teacher, principal or other School Leader. Evaluation and Support System means a system that is fair, rigorous, valid, reliable, and objective and reflects clear and fair measures of teacher, principal, or other School Leader performance, based in part on demonstrated improvement in student academic achievement; and provides teachers, principals, or other School Leaders with ongoing, differentiated, targeted, and personalized support and feedback for improvement, including professional development opportunities designed to increase effectiveness. (ESEA Section 2212(c)(4) and (e)(2)(A)) Evidence-Based means the proposed activity, strategy, or intervention is: supported by strong evidence, supported by moderate evidence, supported by promising evidence, or demonstrates a rationale. (ESEA section 8101(21)) Experimental Study means a study, such as a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), that is designed to compare outcomes between two groups of individuals that are otherwise equivalent except for their assignment to either a treatment group receiving a project component or a control group that does not. In some circumstances, a finding from a Regression Discontinuity Design Study (RDD) or findings from a collection of Single-Case Design Studies (SCDs) may be considered equivalent to a finding from an RCT. RCTs and RDDs, and collections of SCDs, depending on design and implementation, can Meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without Reservations. High-Need School means a school with 50 percent or more of its enrollment from low-income families, based on eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch subsidies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, or other poverty measures that LEAs use consistent with ESEA section 1113(a)(5) (20

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U.S.C. 6313(a)(5). For middle and high schools, eligibility may be calculated on the basis of comparable data from feeder schools. Eligibility as a High-Need School under this definition is determined on the basis of the most currently available data. Human Capital Management System (HCMS) means a system— (A) By which a LEA makes and implements human capital decisions, such as decisions on preparation, recruitment, hiring, placement, retention, dismissal, compensation, professional development, tenure, and promotion; and (B) That includes a Performance-Based Compensation System. (ESEA section 2211(b)(3)) Large Sample means an analytic sample of 350 or more students (or other single analysis units), or 50 or more groups (such as classrooms or schools) that each contain, on average, 10 or more students (or other single analysis units, regardless of whether these single analysis units are disaggregated in the analysis of outcomes for the groups). Multiple studies can cumulatively meet the Multi-Site Sample and Large Sample requirements of Moderate Evidence or Strong Evidence, as long as each study meets the other requirements of the particular level of evidence (i.e., Moderate Evidence or Strong Evidence). Logic Model (also known as a theory of action) means a reasonable conceptual framework that identifies key components of the proposed project (i.e., the active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the theoretical and operational relationships among the key components and outcomes. Meets What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without Reservations is the highest possible rating for a study finding reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). Studies receiving this rating provide the highest degree of confidence that an estimated effect was caused by the project component studied. Experimental studies (as defined above) may receive this highest rating. These standards are described in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbooks, Version 3.0, which can be accessed at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks. Meets What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with Reservations is the second-highest rating for a group design study reviewed by the WWC. Studies receiving this rating provide a reasonable degree of confidence that an estimated effect was caused by the project component studied. Both Experimental Studies (such as Randomized Controlled Trials with high rates of sample attrition) and Quasi-Experimental Design Studies (as defined below) may receive this rating if they establish the equivalence of the treatment and comparison groups in key baseline characteristics. These standards are described in the WWC Procedures and Standards Handbooks, Version 3.0, which can be accessed at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks.http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Handbooks. Moderate Evidence means the following conditions are met: a) There is at least one Experimental or Quasi-Experimental Design Study of the effectiveness of the project component with a Relevant Finding that Meets What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards With or without Reservations (e.g., a Quasi-Experimental Design Study or high-attrition Randomized

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Controlled Trial that establishes the equivalence of the treatment and comparison groups in student achievement at baseline); b) The Relevant Finding in the study described in paragraph (a) of this definition is of a statistically significant and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a student outcome or other Relevant Outcome, with no statistically significant and overriding negative (i.e., unfavorable) evidence on that project component from other findings reviewed by and reported in the What Works Clearinghouse that Meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without Reservations; c) The Relevant Finding in the study described in paragraph (a) of this definition is based on a sample that overlaps with the populations (e.g., the types of student served) or settings proposed to receive the project component (e.g., an after-school program studied in urban high schools and proposed for rural high schools); and d) The Relevant Finding in the study described in paragraph (a) of this definition is based on a Large Sample and a Multi-Site Sample. Multi-Site Sample means more than one site, where site can be defined as a local educational agency (LEA), locality, or State. A sample could be multi-site if it includes campuses in two or more localities (e.g., cities or counties), even if the campuses all belong to the same LEA or postsecondary school system. Multiple studies can cumulatively meet the Multi-Site Sample and Large Sample requirements of Moderate Evidence or Strong Evidence, as long as each study meets the other requirements of the particular level of evidence (i.e. Moderate Evidence or Strong Evidence). Performance-Based Compensation System (PBCS) means a system of compensation for teachers, principals, or other School Leaders-- (A) That differentiates levels of compensation based in part on measurable increases in student academic achievement; and (B) Which may include— (i) Differentiated levels of compensation, which may include bonus pay, on the basis of the employment responsibilities and success of effective teachers, principals, or other School Leaders in hard-to-staff schools or high-need subject areas; and (ii) Recognition of the skills and knowledge of teachers, principals, or other School Leaders as demonstrated through-- (I) Successful fulfillment of additional responsibilities or job functions, such as teacher leadership roles; and (II) Evidence of professional achievement and mastery of content knowledge and superior teaching and leadership skills. (ESEA section 2211(b)(4))

Project Component means an activity, strategy, or intervention included in a project. Evidence may pertain to an individual project component, or to a combination of project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers). Promising Evidence means the following conditions are met: (a) There is at least one study that is a Correlational Study with Statistical Controls for selection bias with a Relevant Finding; and

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(b) The Relevant Finding in the study described in paragraph (a) of this definition is of a statistically significant and positive (i.e., favorable) effect of the Project Component on a student outcome or other Relevant Outcome with no statistically significant and overriding negative (i.e., unfavorable) evidence on that Project Component from other findings on the intervention reviewed by and reported in the What Works Clearinghouse that Meets What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without Reservations. Quasi-Experimental Design Study (QED) means a study using a design that attempts to approximate an Experimental Design by identifying a comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in important respects. This type of study, depending on design and implementation, can Meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with Reservations (but not without Reservations). Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) means a study that employs random assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms, or schools, to receive the Project Component being evaluated (the treatment group) or not to receive the Project Component (the control group). The estimated effectiveness of the Project Component is the difference between the average outcomes for the treatment group and for the control group. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can Meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without Reservations.

Regression Discontinuity Design Study (RDD) means a study that assigns the Project Component being evaluated using a measured variable (e.g., assigning students reading below a cutoff score to tutoring or developmental education classes) and controls for that variable in the analysis of outcomes. The effectiveness of the Project Component is estimated for individuals who barely qualify to receive that component. These studies, depending on design and implementation, can Meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without Reservations. Relevant Finding means a finding from a study regarding the relationship between (A) an activity, strategy, or intervention included as a component of the Logic Model for the proposed project, and (B) a student outcome or other Relevant Outcome included in the Logic Model for the proposed project. Relevant Outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the ultimate outcome if not related to students) the proposed Project Component is designed to improve, consistent with the specific goals of a program. School Leader means a principal, assistant principal, or other individual who is: (A) An employee or officer of an elementary school or secondary school, LEA, or other entity operating an elementary school or secondary school; and (B) Responsible for the daily instructional leadership and managerial operations in the elementary school or secondary school building. (ESEA section 8101(44)) School Leader Residency Program means a school-based principal or other School Leader preparation program in which a prospective principal or other school leader—

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(A) For one academic year, engages in sustained and rigorous clinical learning with substantial leadership responsibilities and an opportunity to practice and be evaluated in an authentic school setting; and (B) During that academic year— (i) Participates in Evidence-Based coursework, to the extent the State (in consultation with LEAs in the State) determines that such evidence is reasonably available, that is integrated with the clinical residency experience; and (ii) Receives ongoing support from a mentor principal or other school leader, who is effective. (ESEA section 2002(1)) Single-case Design Study (SCD) means a study that uses observations of a single case (e.g., a student eligible for a behavioral intervention) over time in the absence and presence of a controlled treatment manipulation to determine whether the outcome is systematically related to the treatment. According to the WWC Single Case Design Pilot Standards, a collection of these studies, depending on design and implementation (e.g., including a sufficient number of cases and of data points per condition), can Meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without Reservations. Strong Evidence means the following conditions are met: a) There is at least one Experimental Study (e.g., a Randomized Controlled Trial) of the effectiveness of the Project Component that has a Relevant Finding that Meets the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without Reservations (e.g., a randomized controlled trial with low rates of sample attrition overall and between the treatment and control groups); b) The Relevant Finding in the study described in paragraph (a) of this definition is of a statistically significant and positive (i.e., favorable) effect on a student outcome or other Relevant Outcome, with no statistically significant and overriding negative (i.e., unfavorable) evidence on that Project Component from other findings that Meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without Reservations; c) The Relevant Finding in the study described in paragraph (a) of this definition is based on a sample that overlaps with the populations (e.g., the types of student served) and settings proposed to receive the Project Component (e.g., an after-school program both studied in, and proposed for, urban high schools); and d) The Relevant Finding in the study described in paragraph (a) of this definition is based on a Large Sample and a Multi-Site Sample. Teacher Residency Program means a school-based teacher preparation program in which a prospective teacher— (A) For not less than one academic year, teaches alongside an effective teacher, as determined by the State or LEA, who is the teacher of record for the classroom; (B) Receives concurrent instruction during the year described in subparagraph (A)—

(i) Through courses that may be taught by LEA personnel or by faculty of the teacher preparation program; and

(ii) In the teaching of the content area in which the teacher will become certified or licensed; and

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(C) Acquires effective teaching skills, as demonstrated through completion of a residency program, or other measure determined by the State, which may include a teacher performance assessment. (ESEA section 2002(5))

Sample Point Ranges for Rating Applicant Responses to the Selection Criteria

All applicants should respond to each of the Selection Criteria published in the NIA published in the Federal Register on December 20, 2016 and repeated above. Reviewers must assess applications based on the Selection Criteria. While we expect reviewers to use their professional knowledge and expertise in reviewing and scoring applications, reviewers may not score applications for which they have personal knowledge. Doing so would create an impermissible conflict of interest. Please note that in awarding points for each Criterion, the maximum number of points available under each sub-criterion is the same. See 34 CFR 75.201(c). In addition to including all required application content and elements of one of Absolute Priority 1 and one of Absolute Priorities 2-4, each application should offer a comprehensive design for the proposed project and identify desired outcomes consistent with these Absolute Priorities. Therefore, reviewers need to read the application in its entirety to determine the overall quality of the proposed project and the quality of the applicant’s response to each Selection Criterion. The score that a reviewer assigns to an applicant’s response to each Selection Criterion and sub-criterion must be consistent with the reviewers’ written comments. Comments and scores should both reflect the same assessment of the quality of the applicant’s response. It is particularly important that reviewers do not pair a negative comment with a positive score and vice versa. Scores indicate how well or poorly a reviewer determined that an applicant responded to a Selection Criterion, so reviewers’ comments should reflect why the reviewer determined that the applicant’s response to a given Selection Criterion deserves the score the reviewer provided -- perhaps across a range from fully developed and high quality to not addressed. We offer the following example of how a reviewer might chose to score an application’s responses to the selection criteria.

Maximum Point Value

General Quality of Applicant’s Response

Not Addressed

Poorly Developed

Adequately Developed

Well- Developed

Fully Developed

30 0 1-7 8-15 16-23 24-30

20 0 1-4 4-9 10-15 16-20

15 0 1-3 4-7 8-11 12-15

10 0 1-2 3-5 6-8 9-10

5 0 1 2-3 4 5

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Executive Order 12372 - Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

This program is subject to the requirement of the Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the Executive Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for State and local government coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance. Applicants must contact the appropriate State Single Point of Contact to find out about, and to comply with, the State’s process under Executive Order 12372. You may locate the name and contact information of State Single Point of Contact at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 87 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit and voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0006.

NOTE: Please do not return the completed 1894-0006 TSL application to this address.